WikiTribune is tracking developments in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russia and the Trump campaign

WikiTribune is tracking developments in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russia and the Trump campaign

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<em>Help bring evidence-based reporting to Special Counsel Mueller's Russia investigation. Use EDIT STORY to add context, and other key events. </em>

<em>Help bring evidence-based reporting to Special Counsel Mueller's Russia investigation. Use EDIT STORY to add context, and other key events. </em>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Former FBI Director Robert Mueller was <a href="https://www.apnews.com/324cc49ac17c431682cb496f1e7e85c4/Former-FBI-Director-Mueller-to-lead-Trump-Russia-probe">appointed in May 2017 as special counsel,</a> an independent role, to investigate any connections between Donald J. Trump and the Russian government. The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/17/us/politics/robert-mueller-special-counsel-russia-investigation.html">decision came after </a></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, which Trump admitted in an <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-reveals-he-asked-comey-whether-he-was-under-investigation-n757821">NBCNews interview</a> was partly made because of the Russian investigation. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Former FBI Director Robert Mueller was <a href="https://www.apnews.com/324cc49ac17c431682cb496f1e7e85c4/Former-FBI-Director-Mueller-to-lead-Trump-Russia-probe">appointed in May 2017 as special counsel,</a> an independent role, to investigate any connections between Donald J. Trump and the Russian government. The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/17/us/politics/robert-mueller-special-counsel-russia-investigation.html">decision came after </a></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, which Trump admitted in an <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-reveals-he-asked-comey-whether-he-was-under-investigation-n757821">NBCNews interview</a> was partly made because of the Russian investigation. </span>

According to multiple media reports, Mueller <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-subpoena/mueller-raises-possibility-of-trump-subpoena-washington-post-idUSKBN1I301Y">met with U.S. President Donald Trump’s lawyers</a> in March 2018 and raised the possibility of issuing a subpoena for Trump if he declines to talk to investigators in the Russia probe. During the meeting in March, Trump's lawyers said their client had no obligation to answer questions by federal investigators in relation to the Russia inquiry, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mueller-raised-possibility-of-presidential-subpoena-in-meeting-with-trumps-legal-team/2018/05/01/2bdec08e-4d51-11e8-af46-b1d6dc0d9bfe_story.html?utm_term=.bdf94fc39896">according to the <em>Washington Post,</em></a> which cited four people familiar with the encounter.

On Monday, the<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/30/us/politics/questions-mueller-wants-to-ask-trump-russia.html?hp&amp;action=click&amp;pgtype=Homepage&amp;clickSource=story-heading&amp;module=a-lede-package-region&amp;region=top-news&amp;WT.nav=top-news"> president criticized the<em> New York Times</em></a> for publishing more than 40 questions that Mueller wanted to ask him as part of the Russia investigation.

The <em>WikiTribune</em> community is tracking key events in Mueller's "Russian Probe."

The <em>WikiTribune</em> community is tracking key events in Mueller's "Russian Probe."

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">March 6, 2016.</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Soon after Papadopoulos joined the campaign, an unnamed campaign official told him that improved relations with Russia was a key foreign policy objective of a Trump presidency.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">March 6, 2016.</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Soon after Papadopoulos joined the campaign, an unnamed campaign official told him that improved relations with Russia was a key foreign policy objective of a Trump presidency.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">April 26, 2016. </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The charges claim that w</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">hile on the campaign, Papadopoulos met with a female Russian national, whom the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/10/us/russia-inquiry-trump.html"><em>New York Times</em> identified</a> as Olga Polonskaya, and an overseas professor. The professor claimed to know Russians who possessed “dirt” on Hillary Clinton in the form of thousands of emails, according </span><a href="https://www.justice.gov/file/1007346/download"><span style="font-weight: 400;">to the indictment. </span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">The meeting took place while he was a campaign adviser, and Papadopoulos knew the professor had substantial connections to Russian government officials. Papadopoulos lied to FBI agents about the meeting and who the people were. Thus the federal charges for perjury.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">April 26, 2016. </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The charges claim that w</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">hile on the campaign, Papadopoulos met with a female Russian national, whom the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/10/us/russia-inquiry-trump.html"><em>New York Times</em> identified</a> as Olga Polonskaya, and an overseas professor. The professor claimed to know Russians who possessed “dirt” on Hillary Clinton in the form of thousands of emails, according </span><a href="https://www.justice.gov/file/1007346/download"><span style="font-weight: 400;">to the indictment. </span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">The meeting took place while he was a campaign adviser, and Papadopoulos knew the professor had substantial connections to Russian government officials. Papadopoulos lied to FBI agents about the meeting and who the people were. Thus the federal charges for perjury.</span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">December 26, 2016. </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the transition period between the Obama and Trump administrations, Flynn coordinated activities with the Russian government around sanctions and a UN resolution concerning Israeli settlements. </span><a href="https://www.justice.gov/file/1015126/download"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The indictment</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> claims Flynn asked the Kremlin to not retaliate after the Obama administration imposed new sanctions on Russia over allegations of interfering in the 2016 election. The Kremlin did not retaliate, and Kislyak told Flynn they did not do so at his request. </span>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">December 26, 2016. </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the transition period between the Obama and Trump administrations, Flynn coordinated activities with the Russian government around sanctions and a UN resolution concerning Israeli settlements. </span><a href="https://www.justice.gov/file/1015126/download"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The indictment</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> claims Flynn asked the Kremlin to not retaliate after the Obama administration imposed new sanctions on Russia over allegations of interfering in the 2016 election. The Kremlin did not retaliate, and Kislyak told Flynn they did not do so at his request. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Flynn also acted as the middleman between Trump’s transition team and Kislyak and other ambassadors over a UN resolution that condemned Israeli settlements in the West Bank of Palestine. Flynn’s </span><a href="http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/02/17/logan-trump-israel-flynn-pressured-u-n-on-israel-vote-before-taking-office/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">efforts were unsuccessful</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and the resolution passed, but he pled guilty to lying to the FBI about it </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">(Foreign Policy). </span></i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Flynn also acted as the middleman between Trump’s transition team and Kislyak and other ambassadors over a UN resolution that condemned Israeli settlements in the West Bank of Palestine. Flynn’s </span><a href="http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/02/17/logan-trump-israel-flynn-pressured-u-n-on-israel-vote-before-taking-office/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">efforts were unsuccessful</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and the resolution passed, but he pled guilty to lying to the FBI about it </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">(Foreign Policy). </span></i>

<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/flynn-promoted-nuclear-plant-project-while-in-white-house-1505328226?mod=djemalertNEWS"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>The Wall Street Journal</em> reported </span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">that Flynn also lobbied for a U.S.-Russian nuclear program while acting as national security advisor to the president. </span>

<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/flynn-promoted-nuclear-plant-project-while-in-white-house-1505328226?mod=djemalertNEWS"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>The Wall Street Journal</em> reported </span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">that Flynn also lobbied for a U.S.-Russian nuclear program while acting as national security advisor to the president. </span>

<h2><b>Paul Manafort and Robert Gates</b></h2>

<h2><b>Paul Manafort and Robert Gates</b></h2>

<b>What Happened </b>

<b>What Happened </b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Paul Manafort, a former Trump campaign manager, and Rick Gates, a former campaign aide, were charged in <a href="https://www.justice.gov/file/1007271/download">October 2017</a> with 12 crimes, which included money laundering. Then the two former campaign players faced another set of </span><a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-trump-russia/special-counsel-files-new-charges-against-trump-ex-aides-manafort-and-gates-idUKKCN1G62MA"><span style="font-weight: 400;">fraud-related charges</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in January 2018. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Paul Manafort, a former Trump campaign manager, and Rick Gates, a former campaign aide, were charged in <a href="https://www.justice.gov/file/1007271/download">October 2017</a> with 12 crimes, which included money laundering. Then the two former campaign players faced another set of </span><a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-trump-russia/special-counsel-files-new-charges-against-trump-ex-aides-manafort-and-gates-idUKKCN1G62MA"><span style="font-weight: 400;">fraud-related charges</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in January 2018. </span>

<b>Connection to Russia </b>

<b>Connection to Russia </b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The criminal charges mostly concern their lobbying work on behalf of a foreign government. Manafort and Gates allegedly transferred<a href="https://int.nyt.com/newsgraphics/2017/indictment/Paul-Manafort-Rick-Gates-Indictment.pdf"> $75 million earned </a>from their advisory work for the<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_of_Regions"> Party of Regions</a>, a Russian-backed political party in Ukraine. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The criminal charges mostly concern their lobbying work on behalf of a foreign government. Manafort and Gates allegedly transferred<a href="https://int.nyt.com/newsgraphics/2017/indictment/Paul-Manafort-Rick-Gates-Indictment.pdf"> $75 million earned </a>from their advisory work for the<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_of_Regions"> Party of Regions</a>, a Russian-backed political party in Ukraine. </span>

<a href="https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/12/04/paul-manafort-and-me-216004"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Politico</em> reported</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that Trump did not know about Manafort’s ties with the Party of Regions, and wanted to fire him once the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/15/us/politics/paul-manafort-ukraine-donald-trump.html"><em>New York Times</em> reported a $12.7 million in salary</a> from the Ukrainian party. </span>

<a href="https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/12/04/paul-manafort-and-me-216004"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Politico</em> reported</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that Trump did not know about Manafort’s ties with the Party of Regions, and wanted to fire him once the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/15/us/politics/paul-manafort-ukraine-donald-trump.html"><em>New York Times</em> reported a $12.7 million in salary</a> from the Ukrainian party. </span>

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<h2><b>Internet Research Agency: social media as a weapon</b></h2>

<h2><b>Internet Research Agency: social media as a weapon</b></h2>

<strong>What happened </strong>

<strong>What happened </strong>

<em>February 16, 2018. </em>Charges were brought against<em> </em><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-indictment/russians-charged-with-2016-u-s-election-tampering-to-boost-trump-idUSKCN1G022U">13 Russian nationals and 3 Russian organizations </a>for spending money to influence the 2016 election with the goal of sowing discord within the U.S. electorate.

<em>February 16, 2018. </em>Charges were brought against<em> </em><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-indictment/russians-charged-with-2016-u-s-election-tampering-to-boost-trump-idUSKCN1G022U">13 Russian nationals and 3 Russian organizations </a>for spending money to influence the 2016 election with the goal of sowing discord within the U.S. electorate.

<strong>Connection to Russia</strong>

<strong>Connection to Russia</strong>

<a href="http://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/5/1605/1603/internet_research_agency_indictment.pdf">The charges</a> were the special counsel's first against Russians. The charges detail a concerted effort to use social media to foment partisan anger over divisive issues, such as gun control and immigration.

<a href="http://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/5/1605/1603/internet_research_agency_indictment.pdf">The charges</a> were the special counsel's first against Russians. The charges detail a concerted effort to use social media to foment partisan anger over divisive issues, such as gun control and immigration.

<em>(Read more, add more about <a href="https://www.wikitribune.com/story/2018/02/16/united_states/fbi-indicts-13-russians-for-using-social-media-to-interfere-in-2016-election/50002/">Russian social media accounts</a> that are involved in U.S. politics.) </em>

<em>(Read more, add more about <a href="https://www.wikitribune.com/story/2018/02/16/united_states/fbi-indicts-13-russians-for-using-social-media-to-interfere-in-2016-election/50002/">Russian social media accounts</a> that are involved in U.S. politics.) </em>

The focus of the charges is the Internet Research Agency LLC, which is described as an organization with hundreds of employees dedicated to using fraudulent social media accounts.

The focus of the charges is the Internet Research Agency LLC, which is described as an organization with hundreds of employees dedicated to using fraudulent social media accounts.

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<h2>Alexander van der Zwaan</h2>

<h2>Alexander van der Zwaan</h2>

<strong>What happened</strong>

<strong>What happened</strong>

<em>April 3 2018.</em> Alexander van der Zwaan was <a href="https://in.reuters.com/video/2018/04/03/van-der-zwaan-given-jail-time-in-mueller?videoId=414582249&amp;videoChannel=118262&amp;channelName=Reuters+Now" rel="external">sentenced to 30 days in prison</a> for lying to Mueller’s investigators about his relationship with Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. The Dutch lawyer is a minor player in Mueller’s investigation, but was the first person to face prison time.

<em>April 3 2018.</em> Alexander van der Zwaan was <a href="https://in.reuters.com/video/2018/04/03/van-der-zwaan-given-jail-time-in-mueller?videoId=414582249&amp;videoChannel=118262&amp;channelName=Reuters+Now" rel="external">sentenced to 30 days in prison</a> for lying to Mueller’s investigators about his relationship with Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. The Dutch lawyer is a minor player in Mueller’s investigation, but was the first person to face prison time.

<strong>Connection to Russia</strong>

<strong>Connection to Russia</strong>

Van der Zwaan's connection is with Ukraine specifically, and it begins with two of his former clients Paul Manafort and Rick Gates. Manafort and Gates were political consultants with the Party of Regions, a pro-Kremlin Ukrainian political party. The two lobbyists contracted the New York based law firm <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/21/us/politics/law-firm-faces-questions-for-ukraine-work-with-manafort.html">Skadden Arps to draft a report</a> justifying the detention of Yulia Tymosehnko, an opposition leader who advocated for stronger ties with the European Union. As a lawyer with Skadden Arps, Van der Zwaan helped draft this letter and communicated with Rick Gates in doing so. <a href="https://www.vox.com/2018/4/3/17190482/mueller-sentencing-vanderzwaan-trump-russia">Van der Zwaan misrepresented his relationship with Gates</a>, and another unnamed person, when questioned by the special counsel <em>(Vox). </em>

Van der Zwaan's connection is with Ukraine specifically, and it begins with two of his former clients Paul Manafort and Rick Gates. Manafort and Gates were political consultants with the Party of Regions, a pro-Kremlin Ukrainian political party. The two lobbyists contracted the New York based law firm <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/21/us/politics/law-firm-faces-questions-for-ukraine-work-with-manafort.html">Skadden Arps to draft a report</a> justifying the detention of Yulia Tymosehnko, an opposition leader who advocated for stronger ties with the European Union. As a lawyer with Skadden Arps, Van der Zwaan helped draft this letter and communicated with Rick Gates in doing so. <a href="https://www.vox.com/2018/4/3/17190482/mueller-sentencing-vanderzwaan-trump-russia">Van der Zwaan misrepresented his relationship with Gates</a>, and another unnamed person, when questioned by the special counsel <em>(Vox). </em>

None. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/09/us/politics/fbi-raids-office-of-trumps-longtime-lawyer-michael-cohen.html">The <em>New York Times</em> reports</a> that the raid does not seem to be directly linked to the special counsel's Russian probe. Rather the focus seems to be on payments made to Stephanie Clifford, the pornographic actress known as Stormy Daniels. Though federal prosecutors received a search warrant based on a referral from Mueller. Sources of the <em>New York Times</em> speculate that Mueller's investigation may have produced evidence relating to Clifford, which he then turned over to his FBI colleagues.

None. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/09/us/politics/fbi-raids-office-of-trumps-longtime-lawyer-michael-cohen.html">The <em>New York Times</em> reports</a> that the raid does not seem to be directly linked to the special counsel's Russian probe. Rather the focus seems to be on payments made to Stephanie Clifford, the pornographic actress known as Stormy Daniels. Though federal prosecutors received a search warrant based on a referral from Mueller. Sources of the <em>New York Times</em> speculate that Mueller's investigation may have produced evidence relating to Clifford, which he then turned over to his FBI colleagues.

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